Focus On Mexico - Your Guide to Moving and Retiring to Mexico's Lake Chapala

Medical Tourism in Mexico

A growing number of Baby Boomers are taking advantage of low cost medical, dental and prescription drugs in Mexico. Mexico has quickly earned a reputation for quality medical care at a greatly reduced cost. Baby Boomers and retirees on fixed or retirement incomes have shown the largest increase in utilization of Mexican medical and dental services. Mexico is a prime destination for Medical Tourism. Medical Tourism is one of the fastest growing health care industries. The USA is in a health care crisis and patients are starting to travel abroad in search of the best quality and the most … [Read more...]

A Focus Alumna in Morelia

A few months ago we gave an overview of Morelia, Michoacan in the post Focus on Morelia. On a recent return trip to Morelia, we met Maureen, a Focus alumna who recently moved to Morelia from Lakeside. She graciously agreed to sit down for an interview about her life, Focus, and Lakeside experiences and her move to Morelia. We met for morning coffee at a charming downtown cafe/restaurant where the Morelia expats meet for a monthly coffee and have set up a small English lending library. Please tell our readers a little about your background and how you came to Mexico. I grew up in Southern … [Read more...]

How to Bring Your Vehicle into Mexico

Applying for a Vehicle Permit Online You can apply for your temporary vehicle import permit on-line through the Banjercito Bank after reviewing the requirements outlined in this post. Foreigners are only allowed to temporarily import one vehicle into Mexico. Why Only Temporary Importation? All foreign vehicles can only be imported into Mexico on a temporary basis. Foreign cars cannot be nationalized and must be taken out of the country after four years. For this reason if you are moving to Mexico on a long-term basis it is not a good idea to bring a new vehicle of any kind into the … [Read more...]

How Lakeside Celebrates Mexican Independence

September 16 is the official celebration of Mexican independence, a big holiday in Mexico similar to the 4th of July in the U.S. and Canada Day. The Grito de Dolores The "Grito de Dolores" is a historic event that happened on September 16, 1810, when the priest Miguel Hidalgo rang the bell of his church and issued a call to arms to fight Spanish occupation in the small Guanajuato province town of Dolores (now Dolores Hidalgo). Each year the 'grito' is reenacted in villages and towns throughout Mexico, led by the 'grito' issued by the President of Mexico from the balcony of presidential … [Read more...]

What’s on the south side of Lake Chapala – Part II

We are fortunate to live on the shores of Lake Chapala, the largest lake in Mexico whose shores include a variety of interesting towns on both sides of the lake. While the Chapala/Ajijic area is the most well-known, there are many expats living along other areas on the north shore where housing prices are generally more reasonable, and there is the fascinating south shore, where we just returned from our second visit to Sahuayo for the annual Festival de los Tlahualiles , one of the best mask festivals in Mexico. This fiesta is part of the town's annual patron saint festival which happens in … [Read more...]